Thursday, June 23, 2011

The congregation of the Upper West Side's newest Individual Landmark--the West-Park Presbyterian Church on Amsterdam Avenue at West 86th Street--just turned 100!

It was this time of year, back in 1911, that the West and Park Presbyterian Churches--then two separate bodies--came together as one unified congregation. To commemorate the occasion, West-Park hosted the Bridge Concert Series this past weekend (more here!). An eclectic mix of musical styles came together in support of West-Park, as did members of the community.

LW! staffers attended the first two concerts in the series. First, on Thursday, June 16th, was Bridge to Possibilities. Featuring a talented group of singer-songwriters, their voices filled the sanctuary of the church (spruced up and ready for public events in large part thanks to the Winter 2011 clean-up organized by the congregation, Preservation Alumni, LANDMARK WEST!, Friends of West-Park, and other generous friends). A fantastic kick-off to the four-day long concert event!

The following evening, Friday, June 17th, brought flavor and flair to the Upper West Side. Bridge to Fusion, the second concert, featured both a world-renowned tango pianist and an acclaimed tango harmonica player. Argentinian pianist Octavio Brunetti spoke of West-Park as being "one of the most beautiful places for music in the city". Coming from a Latin Grammy-winner, that's saying something!

Last weekend's series was heralded by the congregation of West-Park as the first of many such public programs to celebrate their 100th year. Stay tuned for updates on more events here and on the church's blog, the West-Park Press.

For more on how you can support the bricks-and-mortar restoration of West-Park, click here!